ERBIL () - Pollution in Iraq’s Tigris and Euphrates rivers is linked to 13 different diseases affecting humans, Green Iraq, an organization focused on environmental affairs, warned Thursday, saying efforts to address the problem could take years and, in some cases, decades.
In a statement, Green Iraq rejected predictions that pollution in the Tigris and Euphrates could be addressed quickly, describing such expectations as unfounded and stressing that tackling the issue requires years of work and, in some cases, decades.
The organization said rapidly changing the routes of major sewage channels that discharge untreated wastewater into the Tigris is not possible without major strategic projects to redirect them.
It also pointed to similar problems involving factories that discharge their waste into the rivers, as well as power stations that release fuel and oil waste into the waterways.
Green Iraq said the same problem affects the Euphrates, along whose banks a large number of health and agricultural projects have been established.
Regarding parliamentary efforts, the organization said the parliamentary committee tasked with monitoring pollution in the Tigris and Euphrates has not presented anything new.
According to Green Iraq, the committee’s recommendations should focus on preventing entities from polluting the rivers and threatening them with legal action. However, the organization said those measures have so far failed to provide a solution because preventing untreated wastewater from being discharged into the rivers requires time and numerous projects.
Green Iraq warned that water pollution could worsen in the coming period as water levels in both rivers decline and population pressure in cities increases.
The organization said the situation would inevitably place greater pressure on municipal services provided by Baghdad and provincial municipalities, with the effects eventually reaching both public and private hospitals.
Green Iraq warned that water pollution could cause 13 diseases in humans, including digestive-system disorders and urinary tract infections.
It identified hemolytic uremic syndrome as the most dangerous among them, saying the condition can result from infection with certain types of bacteria and can cause the destruction of red blood cells, kidney failure, a severe drop in blood platelets and several other inflammatory conditions in the body.
